


Crystalized

by DaisyChainz



Series: Meet the Knights of Ren [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Force Visions, Gen, Kylo Ren Being a Little Shit, Murder, Non-Graphic Violence, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ren Really wants to get a reaction out of Hux, force torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:55:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23265064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyChainz/pseuds/DaisyChainz
Summary: The discovery of illegal kyber in a spaceport gives Kylo Ren the perfect opportunity to annoy and inconvenience Hux. An unexpected force vision gives him the opportunity for that, and so much more.
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Kylo Ren, Knights of Ren & Kylo Ren
Series: Meet the Knights of Ren [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860607
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15
Collections: Villain Kylo Week





	Crystalized

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited for Villain Kylo Week!!
> 
> What a great time to crack our knuckles and find Evil Kylo!
> 
> Attempted Bingo (five in a row):
> 
> Pyrrhic Victory, pre-TFA, Bleeding Kyber, KOR, Meditation

Kylo held up the kyber crystal and inspected it in the light near where Hux had handed it to him.

"It was confiscated on-planet during a random search in the spaceport. They were unable to connect the baggage to an owner." Hux glared back as Kylo's eyes were suddenly on him.

"Someone just abandoned this? That seems unlikely; this would be worth many credits to the right people." He returned his gaze to the stone, still holding it to the light.

Hux narrowed his eyes. "You think someone was smuggling it? Such a small amount hardly seems worth the risk."

Kylo paused, "it is possible it's a sample, if someone was meeting a potential buyer. Leaving it behind would inconvenience them, but not permanently scuttle a larger sale." Hux internally blinked at the heaviness of Kylo's gaze again. He met his eye and gave no visible reaction. Predictably.

Kylo returned his eyes to the crystal, but his attention remained on the man. Hux was anticipating something, it practically oozed from every pore. It also pleased Kylo there were nerves from his continued glances.

"Put out feelers, see if you can find information that might point us in the right direction. I will meditate and see where the Force directs me." Kylo met Hux's eyes again, opened himself to whatever the statue before him was inadvertently projecting his way.

Irritation at being ordered around--he considered objecting but resignation also came through. Disdain for Kylo's plan to meditate, clearly he found it a useless act. And . . . Ah, there it was: the anticipation. A mission, a goal. Something to break the tedium of late.

Kylo decided to throw him a bone. He pocketed the kyber and picked up his helmet. "I will comm you before I join the search on-planet." As he walked away he could feel Hux's near giddiness at the lack of interference he could now work with.

For the moment.

*** **

Kylo allowed himself to float in his meditation. Trying to direct the force to the kyber in question had proven futile, so he waited for a thread to follow. The dark swirled around him, ominous, hiding many things. He longed to reach out and grasp at the dark--for the answers that surely lay there--but had long ago learned the consequences. 

While his consciousness skimmed the planet below he sensed various individuals. Hux's ambitions burned as brightly as his hair. Kylo found satisfaction in his growing frustration. He couldn't feel the stormtroopers themselves, but he could feel their aggression, and the unease they spread as they worked their way through the spaceport. Stretching himself further, he traveling over the surface of the planet; as far as he could sense, the kyber hadn't come from on-planet.

He was starting to retreat inwards when suddenly he was standing on the dusty surface of the planet. Feeling the dry wind over his bare face, he looked around, waiting to see what the force wanted to show him. 

When nothing materialized but an uneasy feeling, he followed his instincts North, noting the bare mountains ahead. The ground crunched under his heavy boots. The air was hot, but he felt disconnected from his body. He continued on with nothing happening. 

Finally he stopped, took a deep breath, closed his eyes. Even in his vision he could feel himself connecting deeper to the force, the dark whispering and burning, itching under his skin. His fingers twitched and he didn't open his eyes when the ground erupted in front of him. 

He was showered with dirt, pebbles, sand. Something was above him, having forced it's way out of the ground below, hovering threateningly. The entity exuded a malevolence that enveloped Kylo. 

The adrenaline sung through his veins, his fight or flight instinct screaming for him to grab his lightsaber, protect himself. Still his eyes remained closed, breathing almost even. 

The trance within a trance had taken him more deeply than he had ever been before. He opened his eyes and found empty air above him, the ground completely undisturbed. As the hot wind blew his hair around his face he turned and walked back the way he came. 

As he walked he commanded, "come to me."

He opened his eyes to his quarters, then stood to prepare for his Knights. 

*** **

Ap'lek and Ushar were the first to arrive. Their personal ship, The Heldrana, set down gracefully in the docking bay. Kylo had no doubt that Ushar was piloting; even though he had very little formal training his part-Sullustan instincts were obvious. 

Ap'lek appeared first, followed quickly by Ushar. They paused before Kylo, removing their helmets and dropping to one knee.

"You called us, Master." Stated Ap'lek, his long, skull-like helmet revealing the short beak of the Nadiji. His deep blue down was starting to turn white in patches across his skin. He was several decades older than his combat partner.

They were his strongest supporters among the Knights; even if Ushar's devotion tended more towards zealotry. Kylo greeted them and they stood. They followed him as he turned and walked back towards his quarters. 

"The others will be here soon. You may rest and prepare in your rooms until they arrive."

It wasn't long before The Night Buzzard was piloted in by Kuruk. Instead of disembarking, Kylo and the first two Knights joined the rest on board. As they started up the gangway Kylo nodded to Ap'lek. He paused and growled to the nearest First Order technician, "refuel this ship and the other. Give them both a good going-over." The technician paled but gave a kurt nod. He motioned over two other technicians. 

The other Knights were waiting for them. They knelt in turn, then rose to follow Kylo further into the ship. Ushar and Ap'lek greeted their fellow Knights, catching up with each other as they moved into the eating area. 

Kylo sat and the Knights followed suit, watching him expectantly. Finally Trudgen spoke, his voice high and unexpectedly cultured. "You have called us together, Master."

Kylo looked between each of them for a moment. "I've had a vision." The Knights looked at each other, back to Kylo. 

"Visions are tricky things." Trudgen supplied. 

Nodding, Kylo continued. "I was in the desert, on the planet below. There was, something, beneath the surface. Something very old, very powerful . . . Very dark."

The Knights stirred again, trading looks. "We have felt nothing. A thing so powerful would surely be detectable."

"Yes." Agreed Kylo. "Even with your meager control you would not be able to miss that. Unless it was masking itself or . . ." He paused thoughtfully. "Or not complete."

There was a long silence. "Master?" Ushar prompted.

Kylo shook himself. He turned his attention fully to his Knights, they drew in closer. 

"As Trudgen said, visions are rarely what they seem on the surface. In my vision I saw a powerful evil, complete and attacking. Even I cannot sense anything here, and I have searched. But," he pointed a thick finger at his Knights. "I was searching for something else when I had the vision, so I believe the key lies there."

"And what were you searching for?" Asked Cardo, his fingers absently stroking his latest droid creation sitting at his feet. 

"Kyber." Kylo knew as interested as the Knights had been, they were laser-focused on him at that. 

"There's kyber here?" Vicrul leaned further in, leathers creaking. 

"I don't know." Admitted Kylo. "There could be a small mine, I could have missed it with no sense of where to search more deeply. Or, it could be someone has brought kyber here, although I should have found that in my meditation." He nodded to Ap'lek. "Take the Buzzard, go due North of the spaceport, about 30 clicks South of the mountains. Tell me what you find."

There was a chorus of "yes, Master" as Kylo rose and marched off the ship. 

Before he had reached the exit to the hanger the ship was shooting towards the planet below. 

*** **

"There is a small mine here, Master." Ap'lek stood, a washed out blue, on Kylo's console. "It's kyber, we can all sense that much. But there's nothing else we can feel."

"Have you approached yet?"

"No Master. We are waiting for your orders. There is a small camp outside the mine. There are perhaps twenty sentients here. Most are in the ground, a few are in the control center. There is one ship and half a dozen speeders that we can see."

Kylo thought for a moment. "Destroy the ship and speeders first so there is no escape. Kill everyone except those in charge, hold everything until I arrive. Do not damage the mine or the main buildings. Burn the rest."

"Yes Master." The console went dark. 

Kylo took his Upsilon shuttle to the planet's surface. Halfway there his comm buzzed. It was Hux. He silenced it and continued on. 

Even without exact coordinates there was no problem finding the mine. It was exactly where Kylo had seen it in his vision, and the smoke billowing from it could be seen for miles. The level of destruction smacked of Cardo's work, and his Knights had worked quickly, as always. Even before he landed he could feel their satisfaction. 

He set the Upsilon down near the control center. The Knights stood in a semi-circle, fully armed and masked, with two prisoners on the ground between them. The prisoners squinted and turned their faces from the dust his ship churned up, as best as they could from kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their heads. 

Kylo disembarked and approached the silent group. Without acknowledging anyone he asked the first prisoner, a human woman, "why are you running an illegal kyber mine?"

He could feel her fear, and her uncertainty at the mildness his vocoder gave his question. As though he simply had a passing interest. He liked that it eased her fear, just slightly. 

"There isn't enough here for anyone else to care about."

"That did not answer my question." Without further hesitation Kylo raised his hand. He felt his adrenaline rise as her fear spiked. He pushed into her mind with no resistance; in the distance he could hear screaming. 

Finally he released her, she slumped to the ground, breathing hard. The human male prisoner looked at her, then back at Kylo. His alarm spread over Kylo like a blanket. Kylo spoke, "The mine was not un-productive, but it's almost dry. You were trying to clear it out, then you were going to run. Because we seized your sample at the spaceport."

The woman wheezed and tried to climb back to her knees. Trudgen planted a heavy foot between her shoulder blades, pressing her flat again. "Why did you even bother to ask?" She spit at him. 

Kylo gave a slight hum through his vocoder. "You're right. I won't waste any more of your time." He twisted his hand and snapped her neck. 

Now the alarm coming from the man turned to terror. He watched Kylo approach him with impossibly wide eyes. Kylo could feel his heart trying to beat out of his chest, his breathing fast and rasping.

He leaned over him, casting a shadow over his face. "Did you have anything you wanted to add?"

The man's mouth opened, but it was a moment before he could form words. "Yes . . . I . . . I . . . There's something you'll want!" He finally managed to blurt out. 

Kylo stood up straight, still looming but out of his space. "Speak. Faster."

"We found kyber, but more than just that."

"Don't make me go looking." Growled Kylo, fingers twitching. 

The man's eyes followed his fingers, "we found a single ghost."

Kylo's fingers froze. "What?"

"A ghost crystal . . ."

"Where is it?" Demanded Kylo, before he could finish. He gaped a moment too long: Kylo raised his hand and dove into his mind with no care as to preserving him. He dug and cast aside until he found the thread he needed to follow. He jerked it, finding what he wanted, finally. He strode towards the burning structure nearby, not noting the man's body hitting the ground. The Knights turned and followed without a sound or a glance back. 

Standing close enough to the flames to feel the scorching through his layers, Kylo held his hand out, focusing on what must have previously been the dormitory. It took several long moments, the Knights watching expectantly from behind him. 

Feeling the sting of the crystal hitting his palm Kylo closed his fist tightly around it.

Finally he turned to his Knights, closed fist outstretched. They all stared down at it.

Kylo didn't have to open his hand, even his Knights could feel the power laying there. It radiated, a low pulsing sensation that almost below perception. 

"It doesn't feel dark, Master." Ventured Ushar. 

Kylo gripped it more tightly and dropped his hand to his side. "A Ghostfire Crystal isn't inherently dark or light. But they are very powerful. They make excellent, clear lightsaber blades that can disorient your opponent."

"What are you going to do with it, Master?" Ventured Vicrul. 

Instead of answering, Kylo turned to Trudgen. "Can it be bled?"

Trudgen was silent for a long time. "Perhaps. I would have to meditate on it."

"As will I." Said Kylo. 

Cocking his head in a bird-like gesture Ap'lek asked, "is this the great evil that you saw coming from beneath the ground?"

"That's what I am thinking. Perhaps once it's bled . . ." Kylo turned his head to a groan. The man was starting to stir on the ground. He faced his Knights again. "Speak of none of this. I will report the kyber mine to Master Snoke, when that is done I will inform General Hux. Ushar," he gestured to the ground. "You may have him."

"Thank you Master." Ushar bowed and the remaining Knights scattered back to their ship. Ushar stopped to collect the prisoner. Kylo knew the more the man begged, the longer Ushar would keep him alive. Even if he was begging for death. 

*** **

Hux was beyond annoyed with Kylo, it radiated off of him. He hadn't even had to try reaching for it, he felt it as soon as Hux's ship had docked. 

"What do you mean, 'the situation is handled'? There has been no resolution that I've seen."

Kylo grinned under his mask. "I meant, the situation is handled. We discovered a small kyber mine North of the spaceport. The inhabitants are dead, everything else destroyed. That is all." He didn't need to know Snoke had the kyber . . . Or what Kylo had. 

Hux's irritation turned sharply to fury. His voice was even and cold enough to send a shiver down Kylo's spine. He basked in the hint of betrayal and touch of fear beneath it. "It didn't occur to you to alert me to the new information? My troopers and I were wasting our time and valuable resources at the spaceport, while you and your Knights" the title dripped condescendingly from his lips "were destroying valuable property and reporting successfully back to Supreme Leader!"

"Is that what you're worried about, General? Losing face in front of the Supreme Leader? I thought this was about the good of the Order."

"Of course not." Hux scowled. But Kylo could feel his need to save face in front of his Master. "But it's just like you to not give a thought to preserving our resources, or to using them wisely. Stars forbid you should actually communicate with me what is happening, so that we can organize our efforts! That kyber . . ." Hux sighed loudly and Kylo probed until he could feel the moment he gave up. "Do as you please, Ren. Why should you care if the First Order has the resources it needs." He turned on his heel and marched away. 

Kylo basked in his success. Then he squeezed his gloved hand, feeling the crystal still laying there. 

Resources indeed. His Master now had kyber. And Kylo had something, potentially, so much more. 

*** **

**Author's Note:**

> This is built on an 'attempted drabble' from last year. Also I believe it was, once again, @heir_of_breath7 sharing info from Wookiepedia. This time about Ghostfire Crystals. Thank you!


End file.
